Crash victim's sons hope to send sobering message to others

The sons of a man killed in a pedestrian crash last year say that they want other people to know what they've been through in hopes it will make drivers think twice before using unsafe driving practices.

A teenage driver involved in a crash that killed a Kansas City man last year has reached a plea deal, but the victim’s family said it’s done little to ease the pain.

Kevin Moroney and his friend, Maureen Hogg, were standing beside a parked car near 84th Street and Tomahawk Road last August when a car driven by Connor Estrella struck them. Hogg was seriously injured.

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Police have said alcohol was a factor in the wreck.

Moroney’s sons said it’s been difficult to discuss the case and the daily battle with grief. They said they wanted to talk about it Thursday in hopes of making the difference in at least one person’s life.

“That’s me and my dad at my wedding,” said Brent Moroney. “The way we lost our dad, we didn’t have a chance to say goodbye. I figured I would be spending the rest of my life with him.”

Estrella was charged after the wreck. After a lot of soul searching, the Moroney family ultimately decided a plea deal made the most sense.

“To wait a period of time and leave it up to chance versus giving him the opportunity to admit his wrongdoing right now and take his consequences was a big step,” Blakelund Moroney said.

Moroney’s sons said they have bigger plans, hoping to take their grief and their loss and channel it for good, especially in regard to teenagers and alcohol use.

“It can’t change the world, but maybe little by little, this story reaches people and can help people make better decisions,” Blakelund Moroney said. “If it can change five people, maybe that is five people that we saved.”

The Moroney brothers said they plan to launch a formal awareness campaign in their father’s memory.